Is Your Layout Based On A Prototype R.R.?

Very interesting question, Paul. My favorite railroad is the New York Central. Most of my locomotives and cabooses and all of my passenger cars are NYC, but I have made no attempt to model a real location so I'm not sure if that qualifies as being based on a prototype railroad.

If I had a layout, it would be based on Santa Fe prototype during the steam to diesel transition period.

Joe

My rail road is a prototype. The MJM ( Mario, Jeannette and Michael ) runs anything and everything that works and we love it.

Are you asking for any who have modeled an actual scene of an actual railroad as close to prototype as space allows? If so, I sure would like to see some pics of both the actual railroad scene and modeled railroad. 

I would suppose that would be the pinnacle of model railroading.

(regards Amtrak Dreyfus steamer,  gi-raffe unit train and Monty Python SPAM car)  I kinda doubt it. 

Mitch

Mine is mostly all BNSF engines & rolling stock. So BNSF is the main railroad, but the layout itself does not follow any known BNSF routes, businesses or anything like that. It's just a basic layout to run trains on and play with a few accessories. No specific time period either.

My layout is set somewhere vaguely in the Northeastern US, with NYC, PRR and RDG rolling stock (and an occasional Canadian Pacific incursion).  The "period" is a time warp between 1935 and 1955.

Not sure if that actually addresses your question or not.

I exclusively (for the most part) model one railroad only. The only addition to real-life locos and cars are the one Army diesel and two Army boxcars. Other than that, every car or loco existed in real life.

That said, the layout takes place on a fictional branch line of said real RR.

Like the other responses, I don't know if this answers the question or fits the criteria.

The layout I am working on now in the basement will be a loose interpretation of the Buffalo Creek Railway and South Buffalo Railway allowing for some New York Central and a few other railroads that served Buffalo. It will be 90% switching with a lot of industries that I remember from Niagara Falls and Buffalo incorporated together.....Paul

Absolutely! I'm modeling the BNSF, CP, UP and Minnesota Commercial in the Twin Cities area. Sixty miles of mainline, with yards and industries. Enough to keep at least a dozen people busy during an operating session. Hoping to host one before the end of the year.

Yes, The Pennsylvania Railroad Monongehela Branch.    this was originally a separate Division, but by the late 40s was called a branch even though the mainline south from Pittsburgh was 4 main tracks and 2 secondary tracks!

I model the branch for Greensburg to Uniontown, rather loosely.     It was single track by then near as I can tell.    It connected with the Pittsburgh Division in Greensburg and with the Mainline Monongehela division in West Brownsville.   

I don't model specific scenes.   That is hard to do in O, but I use the place names and build my scenery and industries to look like that area of SW Pennsylvania.

New York Central.....Park Ave. tunnel to Harmon. Electrics pull trains into and out of the city. Steamers take over from Harmon, North and West, depending on time table. layout is still under construction, but there is main line action already happening along the Hudson...(thank god!)

My layout is based on the Western Maryland Ry.  Hagerstown to Bowest Jct, with connections to Elkins.  Very condensed, with most of the line single track.

My layout once it is started will be powered by N&W and PRR with a lot of area named and reminders of real area of both roads but not scale replies of said places. This with the exception of my 3 Santa Fe Silver Ceif Sets, 1 PW, 1 Modern Era and 1 MTH.

I model the "Lionel Lines", a road that has been in existence for 117 years. It is unique in that it leases all types of motive power from many roads and any eras. It's freight service takes care of local American industries, and it's passenger service is always on time. 

artyoung posted:

I model the "Lionel Lines", a road that has been in existence for 117 years. It is unique in that it leases all types of motive power from many roads and any eras. It's freight service takes care of local American industries, and it's passenger service is always on time. 

LOVE THIS!!!

artyoung posted:

I model the "Lionel Lines", a road that has been in existence for 117 years. It is unique in that it leases all types of motive power from many roads and any eras. It's freight service takes care of local American industries, and it's passenger service is always on time. 

I also like your idea, you have it all covered here. Maybe my BNSF trains will become more like 'Lionel Lines' on my layout. 

In my case I know almost nothing about the real railroads so it's all mostly what my grandson and I want it to be. He has a lot more imagination that I do as well, comes up with some pretty good ideas. 

artyoung posted:

I model the "Lionel Lines", a road that has been in existence for 117 years. It is unique in that it leases all types of motive power from many roads and any eras. It's freight service takes care of local American industries, and it's passenger service is always on time. 

The TRUTH for my past layouts as well!!  So well stated that this is an instant classic.  

My new layout, though, will be a combination of "Lionel Lines" plus a very, very imprecise model of the SP Coast Route from Chatsworth to Santa Barbara.  

I hope.  

The Rio Grande in desolate eastern Utah (more or less), running some early F units in the classic black-with-yellow-stripes scheme, a DM&IR Yellowstone that's waiting for Lake Superior to thaw so it can go east to Duluth (actual fact), and a C&O Allegheny that arrived unexpectedly one day from Ohio via a space-time wormhole, but which management intends to keep.

Theme, yes. N&W/Roanoke, Va. Prototypical, no. One example, My "Downtown" area will have a representations of the East End Shops, Hotel Earl, and the Texas Tavern. BUT there have to be a ton of buildings left out. Just not enough space.

Before I started laying track, I looked over my benchwork and imagined what could have been achieved if I had gone Z Scale.

Then I got to work laying proper three rail O gauge track..............

artyoung posted:

I model the "Lionel Lines", a road that has been in existence for 117 years. It is unique in that it leases all types of motive power from many roads and any eras. It's freight service takes care of local American industries, and it's passenger service is always on time. 

This is more like what I do. I  have a mix of N&W, UP, NKP, Norfolk Southern, and Amtrak. All on the same layout. Have a lot more to do on my layout still, I just am not planning on doing a whole lot of scenery, since we plan on finishing the basement in the future, then I can build my dream layout(hopefully).

Kinda Sorta .... Northwestern Montana, old NP mainline and area around Thompson Falls ... kinda ... ;-)  With visiting power from GN, SP&S, Milwaukee ...

Milwaukee Road only. Building Cascade Mountains, towns and rail yard. I do have a local electric short line that feeds into the Milwaukee. Don

Gilly@N&W posted:

.....

Before I started laying track, I looked over my benchwork and imagined what could have been achieved if I had gone Z Scale.

Then I got to work laying proper three rail O gauge track..............

I still do that occasionally with both Z and N scales. Then I go to my LHS and look at the Z & N stuff, it's very nice! However, I just can't seem to get with the smaller size, so I head on over to the O gauge section of the store where I belong and trains look like trains and the track has that nice center rail! 

No! our club elected to not model after anything.  this way members can bring what ever will run on 3 rails and be good to go.

plus the other clubs in the museum already model most of southern Calif.

YES.....and NO.....My home road is the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Diesels are black with orange......

Only thing is it's Denver NC and Rio Grande Ohio...both real places.  I love the Rio Grande.....and the mountains of NC and WV......so it's kinda what you get if you cross the D&RGW with the C&O.......

I actually do have a history of the Razorback Traction Co. partially written.  Hafta finish it one of these days... 

Mitch